34 C O N T E X T 1 1 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 0 Nick BROWN New life for Portaferry Portaferry Regeneration and the Prince’s Regeneration Trust have been developing proposals for the heritage-led economic regeneration of Portaferry, County Down. Portaferry Regeneration and the Prince’s Regeneration Trust have been working (in consultation with Ards Borough Council, statutory agencies and local stakeholders) to develop proposals for the heritage-led regeneration of Portaferry over the past nine months. The objective has been to build on the significant achievements of the established community-led regeneration company with heritage-focused proposals to regenerate the town, helping it fulfil its potential as a visitor destination, to build on its importance as a maritime centre, and to make it an attractive place to live, work and visit. This is to be achieved through the proposed Portaferry Townscape Heritage Initiative, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, working in tandem with what will be a newly established Portaferry Building Preservation Trust. Portaferry is a small town with a population of around 2,500, located close to the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula. It is about a one hour drive from Belfast and situated on the eastern shores of Strangford Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The small, former harbour town retains a significant number of late 18th and early 19th century buildings, built during the town’s period of greatest growth and prosperity. Despite the unprecedented and, many would strongly argue, unwarranted de-listing of over 40 per cent of its listed buildings by the then Environment and Heritage Service in 2006, Portaferry Conservation Area still retains a significant concentration of listed buildings. The historic town centre, combined with its attractive setting on the shores of Strangford Lough, an area of outstanding natural beauty and site of special scientific interest, contribute to its considerable townscape character and charm. Unlike the village of Strangford, located nearby on the opposite side of the Lough, to which Portaferry is linked by a short and regular ferry service, Portaferry has experienced a steady decline in its economic prosperity over the past 30 years. This is reflected in a sharp decline in economic investment in its historic buildings, which is manifest in the large number of derelict, vacant or underused properties within its historic centre and commercial core. A large number of small, family-run businesses, many located in the centre of the town, have ceased trading and the last remaining bank closed its Portaferry branch in 2008. Portaferry is ranked within the bottom 30 per cent of all wards in Northern Ireland on the Multiple Deprivation Measure, unlike its similarly-sized neighbour across the straits of Strangford Lough, which is ranked in the top 40 per cent. Portaferry does, however, attract a significant number of visitors, a large proportion of whom visit Exploris, the Northern Ireland Aquarium and Seal Sanctuary, which is located close to the centre of the town. The aquarium regularly attracts more than 130,000 visitors a year, although in recent years visitor numbers have been in decline. The ferry service provides a vital communication link and conveys approximately 500,000 passengers a year, between Portaferry and Strangford – many are local people travelling to work or educational establishments on the landward side of the Lough, in places such as Downpatrick. Portaferry is also an important maritime centre. In addition to the Aquarium and Seal Sanctuary, Queen’s University Marine Laboratory is based there, providing research facilities for the school of biological sciences and the school of planning, architecture and civil engineering; the Strangford Lough Management Advisory Committee operates from offices in the town; and Portaferry Marina, developed and operated by the regeneration company, provides 39 permanent and 1,100 visitor berth nights a year. The world’s first Cluster 1 High Street Cluster 2 The Square Cluster 3 Ferry Street Ferry to Strangford Portaferry Castle Marina Market House N Key Conservation Area Boundary Cluster Areas THI Properties THI Gap Sites THI Public Realm Area Portaferry Presbyterian Church Ballyphilip Parish Church 0m 100 m 200 m 300 m St Cooey's Oratory Lifeboat Station Exploris Aquarium Library Fire Station Strangford Lough Portaferry Townscape Heritage Initiative Map The Strand Marina
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